The head of one of the world's best-known museums is retiring, and as the news spread late Monday, netizens praised him as a tireless guardian and promoter of the nation's heritage.

The retirement of Palace Museum Director Shan Jixiang, 65, whose name has frequently been in the news, was announced on Monday at a meeting at the museum, also known as the Forbidden City.

Shan "has made the Forbidden City shift from a luxury beyond reach to one that is accessible to ordinary people", Feng Kaitai, a lawyer and Weibo user, posted on Monday. "He makes more younger people fall in love with the Forbidden City."

The museum named Wang Xudong, director of Dunhuang Academy in Gansu province since 2014, as Shan's successor. The academy manages and studies the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, also known as the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas, including hundreds of temples at a Silk Road crossroads.

In 2012, Shan took the helm of one of the world's premiere museums. As China's imperial palace from 1420 to 1911, the museum welcomes millions of visitors each year - more than 17.5 million in 2018, among the most of any museum in the world.

Shan became director when the museum was beset by controversies, including a crowding problem, a burglary and a case of someone damaging its exhibits.

He is often credited with taking creative measures to turn things around. To control the crowds, he set a cap of 80,000 daily visitors, and he improved the security of the museum and its exhibits.

Shan also has been known for helping the public see more of the museum and its treasures. He expanded the area accessible to the public from 30 percent in 2012 to 80 percent today.